the messes of men
by xgoldxlionsx
Summary: DC Universe character cameos throughout story. No summary.
1. the power of DREAMS

A/N: My first Teen Titans fic, and I dooo hope it is as enjoyable to read as it is to write. :3

I miss writing and I've written quite a bit for this one already, so I'm going to post what I have now. =)

Disclaimer: DC owns Teen Titans, Zatanna, and the Doom Patrol. Lux is mine.

Enjoy! ~

* * *

_"__Steve.. Steve—please, be reasonable.." They followed him to the mansion. There was one light shining through a window on the second floor, "Look, we can—" He interrupted her with a sharp glare. He had never looked at her that way before. She was shocked into silence._

_"It's the only way, Rita. Move, Zatanna.." He turned back to face the black iron fence. The illusionist held the cane in her white gloved hand. It was obvious she wasn't going to let him through without some sort of confrontation._

_"No, Mento. You don't order me around like you do them. I won't let you do this." White glove met the brim of the black top hat, brilliant green eyes piercing vivid blues, "Lux.."_

_She landed beside the illusionist, hands emitting a violet glow. The magician brought the girl.._

_"You think a kid's going to be enough to stop me?"_

_"You underestimate aliens because they're not man-made freaks like you, Mento." His eyes narrowed dangerously. She seemed amused. This was not funny, "You're wrong about the boy."_

_"You're protecting him.. where do your loyalties truly lie?"_

_"My loyalty isn't the one that needs questioning." The illusionist tightened her grip on the cane. The girl to her side inconspicuously shifted in front of her mentor, hands balled into fists, ready to fight. Her intentions would have been admirable under different circumstances._

_"You're protecting a murderer and you think you're on the good side of the law?" He was growing impatient with her._

_"What're you doing, Steve? Becoming a vigilante because you think he's guilty?"_

_"I _know _he's guilty, Zatanna."_

_"No, you want to believe he is. Unjustly imprisoning the boy isn't going to bring anyone back."_

_"Putting him where he belongs is the only thing to do."_

_"You're not the law."_

_"Not. Yet." Her brows furrowed. He didn't seem to realize he said anything wrong, something no superhero would say if they weren't in danger of corruption. The woman at his own side took a hesitant step toward him._

_"Steve.. don't do this.." She looked to the other two for reinforcements, "Larry, Cliff.. please," They offered none. They were behind him a hundred percent. Their faith was undaunting. _

_"Rita, leave. Out of my way, Zatanna." She didn't budge. She wasn't going to leave him. Not now. Not after everything they've been through together._

_"No." The illusionist wasn't going to budge either._

_"Now."_

_"The boy is innocent. I'm going to guard him with my life."_

_"Then you give me no choice."_

_"Don't hold back, Steve."_

_"I don't intend to.." He placed his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes, concentrating intently. A moment later, his lids popped open, exposing a blinding blue light and a wave of mental energy came pouring from the helmet on his head. _

_The alien crony extended both arms, creating a metallic silver force shield. The mental energy seemed to bounce off of her shield. She lowered her arms a fraction of an inch and the shield dissolved into nothingness. _

_Another wave of energy shot toward the illusionist and her alien friend. Both females dove out of the way just in time. The crony took to the sky, the violet glow of her hands traveled up the length of her arms and consumed her body, the purple of her irises bled into the whites of the surrounding sclera as her own ball of energy was sent hurtling toward Mento._

_"STEVE, NO, STOP!"_

_He sent another wave of power toward the figure, hovering above him. Blue met purple in a violent explosion._

"Beast Boy, wake up!" The green one shot up in a cold sweat, chest heaving. He quickly observed his room to find it in the state he left it in before he fell asleep: filthy, "Are you okay?"

"Wha—" His vision went in and out of focus as he dug a knuckle into his eye, trying to rub the sleep away, "What's goin' on?" He noticed the other members of his team were litered across his room, "What're you guys doing in here?"

"You were yelling in your sleep." Robin was the first to speak. Although he wore an eye mask, Beast Boy could hear the concern in his voice and imagined it flickering in his eyes.

"I was?"

"Yeah, man, real loud.. you okay?" Cyborg. His best bud.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You are sure, Beast Boy? Did you have nightmares of seven-headed twarogs?" Starfire's eyes were wide, her hands covering her mouth in fright.

"Wart frogs?" He stared at her, bewildered before turning his attention back to Robin.

"Beast Boy, what happened? In your dream?"

"There were.. people.. I know them, but their faces.. I can't recognize them, but I know I know them. And there was an explosion.." Beast Boy hid his face in his hands, "They were talking about a boy.. a murderer. I don't remember anything else."

"Must've been some dream, huh, BB?" Cyborg offered a reassuring grin. Beast Boy couldn't help but smile. He always made the changeling feel tons better. No matter how much they argued over video games or movies or television or what to eat for breakfast, Cyborg had always been his closest friend.

"All right then.." Robin yawned tiredly, "Let's get back to sleep, Titans." Raven, who hadn't said a word, was the first to float out of the room, followed by Starfire, who hammered Beast Boy about the seven-headed twarogs once more before being ushered out by Robin. Cyborg hadn't budged from his spot.

"You sure you're okay, BB?" The green one paused for a moment, musing over the dream and how he felt in it. It was nothing right? Just a dream.

"Yeah, Cy, I'm cool."

Cyborg lingered a moment longer before bidding Beast Boy goodnight and leaving him alone, once again. But sleep was not with Beast Boy. Who were those people? Was he in the dream? He couldn't recall seeing himself there, but he could make out the silhouettes of the people.

There were three girls. Three guys. One dark house. The man. The one trying to get through.. Beast Boy knew him. He knew all of them.

_It doesn't matter, it was just a dream.._

And after a few minutes of struggling to picture faces, Beast Boy finally gave in and allowed his head to hit the pillow, suddenly overcome with exhaustion.


	2. the power of OUTSIDERS

A/N: Disclaimers will come at the end of the chapter. Thank you. :)

* * *

"Titans.. GO!" Robin shouted, standing at full height, finger pointing, jaw clenched in fierce determination. The members of his team followed his command without hesitation. They looked to him as their leader. He was good—no, he was great at what he did. The authority in his voice was natural. He rarely let them down as head of the Titans.

Starfire and Raven hovered above Beast Boy, Robin, and Cyborg, facing a new foe. Her long red hair curled down the spine of her back, her green-gloved hands balled up at her sides. Her green, short-sleeved leotard left no room to the imagination, as it acted as a second skin. Her yellow boots ended just above her knees, a red belt rested against her hips.

She gazed coolly at the Titans, vivid green eyes scrutinizing each member, analyzing them, and ultimately passing them off as posing little to no threat to her.

Cyborg was the firs to attack: he lifted his right arm, left hand grasping his right forearm as it transformed into its sonic cannon mode, shooting a huge beam at the strange woman. The corner of her lips curled into an arrogant smile as she quickly dodged his attack, moving at Cyborg almost superhuman speed. Her fist collided with the underside of his chin, sending him flying into Starfire, who had began hurrying to his aid.

"Azarath Mentrion Zinthos!" Raven's eyes began glowing white as the energy of her spell consumed a nearby car. She pointed her fists at the woman, sending the car hurtling in her direction. The woman waved her hands in front of her, generating a force field. The car crashed into the green force field, causing a wild explosion.

Beast Boy, who had begun racing toward the woman, skidded to a halt.

_The alien extended both arms, creating a metallic silver force shield. The mental energy seemed to bounce off of her shield. She lowered her arms a fraction of an inch and the shield dissolved into nothingness..._

Robin produced several exploding disks from the utility belt around his slim waist and flung them at the woman as the force field disappeared.

The disks impacted, exploded, and sent the woman flying back with a shocked cry.

Starfire rejoined the battle as she swooped in from the sky, eyes glowing green. The woman noticed the alien zooming towards her and decided to meet her halfway as she propelled off the ground, flying straight into Starfire. The two engaged in aerial combat as the others watched, helplessly, from the ground.

Starfire flew away from the woman before showering her in a rain of starbolts. The woman, clearly surprised by the alien's strength and endurance, was caught off-guard by Starfire's unrelenting attacks and crashed into the asphalt below.

Once the dust cleared, the woman struggled to get to her feet, strands of red curls falling into her visage as the Titans began closing in on her.

"What are you doing here?" Robin demanded, bo-staff extended, "Why are you destroying our city?"

"I do not care about your pathetic human city.." She scoffed, "Sazu. I am looking for Sazu. Where is she?"

"Sazu?" Beast Boy blinked in confusion, "Who's Sazu?"

"My handmaiden. Where is she?"

"Who are you?" Raven asked from the sky, hands pulsing with energy, ready to attack.

"Maxima of Almerac." She retorted, haughtily, hands planted on her hips, the air of arrogance was not unnoticed by the members of the Titans.

"Almerac?" Starfire inquired, tilting her head to the side, the glow of energy leaving her hands, "I have been to Almerac. It is a beautiful planet."

"_You _have been to Almerac?" Maxima arched a brow, curiously, "And who are you?"

"I am Koriand'r of Tamaran." The introduction caused Maxima to go rigid.

"Koriand'r of Tamaran?" Starfire nodded. The other members of her team casted each other looks. Starfire had never introduced herself by the name given to her on her home planet. So why start now? Who was this Maxima? And where was Almerac? What did it have to do with Starfire and her planet, Tamaran? "I remember you." Maxima stated, slowly.

"You do?" Beast Boy asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Star, you know her?" Robin interjected, quizzically. The others stared at Starfire, waiting for her response.

"We have met once, when I was a _renjo. _Almerac and Tamaran are part of one of the oldest galactic alliances ever formed and I visited Almerac as a mission of good-willing with my sister, Komand'r." Starfire explained to her friends.

"Hm.. X'hal." Maxima muttered. Stafire's eyes lit of brightly as she returned the greeting with much enthusiasm.

"Zaul, fellow outsider!" The younger of the two aliens turned to the Titans with a cheerful smile, "Almerac and Tamaran share much in common!"

"Indeed.." Maxima eyed Starfire, "I did not travel to this desolate place for pleasantries. I am searching for my handmaiden, Sazu. Where is she?"

"We have not come into contact with your maiden of the hand, " Starfire commented, thoughtfully.

"What is she doing on Earth?" Cyborg asked.

"I do not know." Maxima said, impatiently with a roll of her eyes, "You _renjos _appear to be of little use to me. I will take my leave."

"Farewell, Maxima of Almerac!" Starfire exclaimed, jubilantly, with a wave of her arm.

"Rhy'kal, Koriand'r of Tamaran." Maxima glared at Starfire, wrinkling her nose before levitating a few feet off the ground. She glanced at the Titans for a moment before lingering on Cyborg, "You know Amazing-Man?"

"Uh.. no?"

"Hm.. you have his colour.." She narrowed her eyes at Cyborg for a moment before soaring away from them. The Titans stared at one another, bewildered by the strange encounter.

* * *

Disclaimer: DC owns Teen Titans, Maxima, and Sazu.


	3. the power of THE SHE

Edge City. Gray and dirty and full of men with bad records. Not the type of place you'd want to raise a family. There were always fights in the streets and the bars between drunks and cokeheads. In the dark alleyways, men in long overcoats would try to bribe and swindle and coax anybody they could into stepping off the busy street.

In Edge City, there were no heroes to protect it from the criminals crawling out of every possible nook and cranny. The overwhelming number of villians had crushed any and all attempts of heroes trying to bring justice and order to the chaotic boundaries of the city.

Many heores tried to ban together to form teams to clear the streets, but the crimes of these devilish men were so unrelenting. This drove the heores out and attracted more fiends to shamelessly parade throughout the ruins of Edge City.

And this was the paradise of evil men and women. Anyone running from the law could find sanctuary in Edge City. But not for long. There was talk of a hooded figure bringing drug lords to their knees and helping the small band of ex-police men protect the small number of unfortunate citizens, who were too poor to move away from the anarchy.

This hooded heroine appeared overnight. Crooks were afraid of doing their business out in the open, as they once had. Cronies of these crooks worked in large numbers, hoping to intimidate the stranger with their quantities.

"Do you think the She's gonna be out tonight?" One man asked his partner as they hastily loaded the cargo onto the bed of a blue truck.

"Shut up!" The other hissed at him, hand automatically going to the hollister of his gun at his hip.

"Sorry!" The first man whispered harshly, looking over his shoulder at the darkness of the night, "It's just.. I gotta bad feelin' about this."

"Well, ignore it and let's finish this up, man." The second growled, going back to work.

"But what if the She comes?" The first asked, shaking in fear.

"Look, Matty, there are a million fellas like us working tonight, alright? What's the chances the She's gonna pick us to nab, huh?" Matty pondered this information for a moment before nodding with a reassured smile, "Now, let's get back to--did you hear that?"

"N-no.. shut up, Willie, stop tryin' to scare me.."

"I'm not foolin' around, Matty! Listen!" They both strained their ears, hunched over their precious cargo.

"What _were _the chances of the She nabbing you tonight, Willie?" Both men froze as the soft female voice invaded their ears. They slowly turned to face her as she stepped forth from the shadow.

The She was garbed in eggplant purple afghan pants and and soft-padded black shoes that curled at the toes. She wore a choli that matched the color of her slightly transparent afghan pants, her slender midriff exposed. The flesh of her abdomen was pale. Wrapped around her head was a black sari, hiding her face from their fearful eyes. Adorning her wrists were thick silver bracelets.

The She approached them, the only noise that could be heard was the clanking of her bracelets. That was the sound Willie heard.

"P-please.. h-have mercy!" Matty begged, cowering in fear. The She gazed at him for a moment before narrowing her eyes at Willie, who had withdrawn his gun and pointed the barrel at her.

"Lookit, woman, we ain't got no quarrel with you. Now just let us go about our business and I won't hafta shoot you, got it?" Willie sounded much braver than he felt.

The She slid her right foot in their direction, eversoslightly. The motion didn't go unnoticed by Willie as he quickly pulled the trigger. The She extended both arms, creating a silvery metallic force field, effortlessly blocking the bullet from harming her. Willie, now trembling, began firing at her. Matty dove behind Willie, arms covering his head.

"Leave us alone, you wench!" Matty cried out. The She ignored his pleas as the force field diminished. Her hand began to emit a violet glow, and the purple of her irises bled into the whites of the surrounding sclera: the only thing visible under her black veil. The She balled the glowing hand into a fist and pointed it at Willie.

A ball of purple energy shot at him, knocking the gun from his hand. The She continued approaching them, backing them into their truck. Willie and Matty began whimpering in fear, quietly begging and pleading for her to show mercy. The She said nothing as she bound and gagged them to a nearby lamp post.

A few minutes later, the militia, fighting against the crooks that had overrun Edge City, arrived after an anonymous tip-off. They knew who it was though. The She always had the bad guys bound and gagged, waiting to be shipped off to Gotham City, where a cell would be waiting for them in Blackgate Prison.

The head of the militia, Davis Burke, was a former officer of Gotham City's Quick Response Team, and nephew of Tommy Burke, who worked for Gotham's Major Crimes Unit. He had been dispatched to Edge City, to help the weakening police force. After the cause appeared to be lost, Davis Burke insisted upon staying and helping those who couldn't leave.

Burke nodded his head in approval at the two capturede criminals and looked to the sky for their heroine.

But the She was long gone.

* * *

Disclaimer: DC owns Batman and Thomas 'Tommy' Burke.

Edge City is from Smallville, if I'm not mistaken. This is my own interpretation of Edge City. It's got a very Gotham City feel to it, dontcha think?

The She, Matty, Willie and Davis Burke belong to me.


	4. the power of FRIENDSHIP

_"I'm s-sorry, Rita.. I'm so sorry.." _

_"Steve, shh.."_

_"We gotta get outta here, Rita."_

_"But, Cliff, he's hurt.. look.."_

_"I know, but we have to get a move-on before someone comes.."_

_"What are we going to do about...?"_

_"Leave 'em." _

_Leave 'em..._

_Everything was silent. Everything was still. _

_The rubble on the ground was still smoking from a recent battle. Clouds of dust lingered in the air. Something terrible had just happened, had just taken place. But what? What happened?_

_No one could be seen, off-handedly. Who had caused such a mess? Who was fighting? Why were they fighting?_

_No sirens: the police either hadn't arrived yet, or were long since gone. _

_The large manor behind the ruins was still in tact, and there was the ghost of a light on the second floor, yet no light shone out the windows. Was anybody home? Did they see what happened?_

_Groaning. Something was alive. Some_one_ was alive. Buried in the rubble. The some_one_ slowly stood from the ruins, back hunched, breathing harshly, body visibly bloody and bruised. A mass of tangled black hair shielded the countenance of the being. Another someone approached the injured creature. Unable to continue standing on her own, she collapsed back into the rubble beneath her feet--_

_"Elasti-girl?" Beast Boy frowned, taking a step toward the wounded being on the ground, "No.. Rita.."_

That's not Rita.. _he thought._

_"Rita?" The changeling called out, uncertainly._

_"Beast Boy?" Beast Boy looked over his shoulder._

_"Raven.. what are you doing here?"_

_"You pulled me here.."_

_"I did?"_

_"What's going on?"_

_"I don't know.. my old team.. they were here, Raven! Mento was hurt. Real bad.. Negative Man and Robotman.. they had to carry him away because he was so hurt. And Rita.. she was here! Rita was here, Raven!"_

_"Are you sure?" Beast Boy frowned at the cloaked female. What was she implying? Of course they were here, he was just with them! Right? _

"What are we going to do about...?"

_That was Negative Man's voice.. _

"Leave 'em."

_Cliff.. The names were muffled.. who were they? Did he know them? Were they the ones that hurt Mento?_

_"Raven.. am I dreaming?" Beast Boy turned away from the girl, casting his glance downward, toward the injured creature. Somebody else was with them. A black figure against the darkness of the night. Was it a woman? No.. it was too big to be a girl. A man then? A well-built man. A fluttering cape. Standing, watching. Why wasn't he helping her?_

_"I think you are, Beast Boy.."_

_"Why are you here then?"_

_"I don't know. You brought me here."_

_"How did I do that?"_

_"You called to me."_

_"I called.. to you?" His brows knitted together in confusion._

_"Yes. You wanted me here with you."_

_"Why?"_

_"Only you know the answer to that, Beast Boy.." Her voice was calm and even. _

_"Are you going to leave me?" His voice cracked._

_"Not if you don't want me to."_

_"I don't.."_

_"Then I won't leave you."_

_"I'm so afraid, Raven."_

_"Don't worry, I'm here.._

* * *

Disclaimer: DC owns the Doom Patrol, Raven, and Beast Boy.


	5. the power of MISERY

Beast Boy stumbled into the living room late that afternoon, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Robin and Cyborg were both plopped on the couch, game controllers in their hands. Cyborg grinned viciously at the large screen T.V. as his warrior K. Robin's. Robin released an angry grunt.

"BOOYA." Cyborg cried, victoriously.

"Rematch." Robin huffed.

"What's the matter, Rob, gettin' ya butt kicked for the seventh time not enough for you?" Cyborg's lips curled into a malicious smile.

"Rematch." Robin grunted, once more.

"Goodmorning, my little green friend!" greeted Starfire, cheerfully, as Beast Boy entered the vicinity.

"Hey, Star.. where's Raven?" He asked once he scanned the area and realized she was not to be seen.

"On the roof, meditating." answered Starfire, promptly.

"Oh.."

"Do you wish to consume vast quantities of the wakey-wakey, tofu eggs and bakey?" Starfire inquired, floating over to her friend.

"Uh.. no thanks, Star, I'm not really hungry.."

"SUP, BB?" Cyborg shouted gleefully from his spot on the sofa, not tearing his eyes from the screen.

"Hey, Cy. Hey, Robin." The leader of their team grunted in response as he focused his attention on trying to beat the unbeatable, his thumbs punching the buttons of his controller with an extra amount of force. Beast Boy chuckled at his fierce determination. Robin wasn't used to losing. And when he lost, everyone knew it from the unhappy scowl on his face.

"BOOYA!" Cyborg sprung to his feet, arms over his head as he grinned. Robin howled in frustration before admitting defeat and dropping his controller.

"Stupid video game.." He grumbled.

"There, there, Robin.." Starfire was immediately at his side to offer consolation. Beast Boy couldn't help but smile at the couple. As hard they tried to hide their feelings from each other, the rest of the team couldn't be fooled. Since day one, it was painfully obvious that the pair had a _thing _for one another, despite their fruitless attempts at remaining "just friends."

Robin tried to keep their relationship at the professional level, but he always found himself extremely protective of Starfire, over the other members of his team. Hewas protective of them all cared for them deeply, but Robin cared for Starfire differently and the other understood that.

Starfire had eyes for nobody but Robin. He had been the first to take the time to carefully explain Earth's strange ways to the alien. She had grown especially fond of him and wanted nothing more than to be with him, but Robin made it perfectly clear that he was a hero.

Beast Boy understood why Robin wanted to distance himself from Starfire. If anything happened to her, it would make it that much harder for him. He didn't want to put her in anymore danger for being close to him.

The changeling sighed as he thought of Terra. Terra, who had betrayed them. Terra, who had tried to destroy them. Terra, who had saved them in the end. Beast Boy had always defended her from Raven.

_What's Raven's deal anyway? _

Beast Boy had left the living room and began wandering down the halls, lost in his own thoughts.

_She always hated Terra.. she could never accept her.. and even after she saved the city from the volcano and Slade, Raven was still skeptical. She pretended like she wasn't, but I could tell.. why did she hate Terra so much?_

Beast Boy let his mind wander, let his feet carry him. They had a mind of their own, his feet.

_Raven.. she invaded my dreams last night. I know she did. What was she looking for? Terra? Is Raven jealous of her?" _

Beast Boy stopped, surprised at his own thoughts. Raven.. jealous of Terra?

_No way.. that's impossible._

For one reason or another, the changeling had an unrecognizable desire to see Raven, face-to-face. He felt the overwhelming urge to confront her invasion of his privacy.

_She said I called her into my dream.. that's a lie! Why would I call Raven? Why would I want her?_

He stormed his way to the roof, kicking the door open, "Raven!" Beast Boy bellowed, surveying the scene for the girl. She wasn't there. Beast Boy searched the entire rooftop of Titans Tower. Finally, he stood at the edge, overlooking Jump City Bay. Nowhere. Where was she?

_She's gotta be in her room._

As Beast Boy turned to retreat back into the Tower, he spotted her. She was levitating over the rocky cliffs, legs crossed, meditating. The changeling furrowed his brows before morphing into a green sparrow and fluttering down to her. As he neared the ground, he returned to his human form, crouching low on a large boulder, directly behind Raven.

"Azarath Mentrion Zinthos.. Azarath Mentrion Zinthos.. Azarath Mentrion Zinthos.." Rave repeated, slowly, evenly, ignoring Beast Boy, "Azarath Mentrion Zinthos.."

"Raven.." Beast Boy remained crouched. Raven continued to ignore him as she proceeded with her chanting, "Raven." He said once more, a little louder, with a little more force.

"What do you want?"

"You're ignoring me."

"_You're_ interrupting me. What do you want?"

"To talk to you."

"About what?"

"About last night." Raven remained silent. He must've caught her attention, "You were in my dream."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do, Raven. Why were you in my dream?"

"_You _dragged me into it." muttered Raven.

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie about something like that?" She continued showing her back to him, the lids of her eyes slowly sliding open.

"You wanted to see what I was dreaming about." Beast Boy retorted without a moment's hesitation. Raven scoffed at his conclusion.

"I have the power to penetrate the deepest barrier of anyone's mind.. tell me again why I would want to be in yours?"

"You wanted to see if I was dreaming about Terra." Beast Boy ventured into dangerous territory, but he had had it with Raven's ridiculously imaginary conflict with the girl-turned-statue.

"What?" She couldn't believe her ears.

"Admit it, Raven, you hated her."

"I didn't trust her.. and for good reason too," Raven balled her hands into fists as she remained levitated, "if you've already forgotten, she did betray and attack our friends."

"She did the good thing in the end!"

"One good deed doesn't erase a lifetime of evil."

"A lifetime of evil?" Beast Boy fumed. How dare she! Terra was just confused. She was just misunderstood! "If case _you've _forgotten, Raven," Beast Boy began, "you ended the world. You did a lot more damage than Terra ever could.."

Raven was stunned into silence. Beast Boy had said a lot of mean things to her and about her over the course of time, but never had she felt her eyes brimming with tears. He had never made her cry.

Why did it hurt her so much? She didn't understand.

She didn't respond.

"You were jealous of her, weren't you? She was so friendly and everyone liked her and you were afraid she would replace you!"

_Dude, shut up! _Beast Boy told himself.

He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't. It was like word vomit. He needed her to hear this. He couldn't stop himself from missing Terra more and more each day. After she turned to stone, Raven said she tried everything to bring her back. She was lying. She just didn't want to get replaced. That was it. That HAD to be it.

_That's not it! _He argued with himself, _Raven did try her hardest. She's really a kind girl, no matter how creepy she can be.. _

"Stop it.." Raven clenched her jaw, lowering her head.

"Face it, Raven, you hated that Terra fit it so perfectly so quickly and you're still trying to fit in after all this time!" Beast Boy seethed.

"Stop it! Shut up!"

"That's why you didn't try to reverse the curse! You know you could, you just didn't want to!"

"Leave me alone.." The tears slid down her pale cheeks.

"Why were in my dream, Raven?!"

"Go away!" The girl lowered her feet to the ground, fists at her sides.

"No! Not until you tell me the truth!"

"About what, Beast Boy? What am I supposed to be lying about?!" Raven spun around to face him, the distraught plainly written across her countenance.

"Everything! You hated Terra from the beginning! You didn't want to reverse the curse! You were jealous of her!" Beast Boy grabbed her arm.

"I didn't hate her.." Raven whispered, eyes downcast, cheeks glistening with tears, "I didn't trust her at the beginning." She paused a moment to glance up at him, "I began to trust her though.. because you always said how wonderful she was. I dropped my guard and let her in. I trusted her.." Beast Boy's hardened gaze softened at her weak voice, "I tried everything I could think of to bring her back.. because you were so unhappy without her."

"You.. you tried for me?"

"Yes. I was jealous of her, but only because she captured and held your attention longer than I could ever dream of.. if I ever hated her, it was only because you didn't look at me the way you looked at her."

"What.." Beast Boy was dumbstruck, "Raven.."

The hood of her cloak glowed with her spiritual energy and seemingly of its own accord, settled itself upon her head, shielding her eyes, "You called me into your dream, Beast Boy, whether you want to believe it or not." She pushed past him, heading back to the Tower.

"Raven, I.." He held out a hand to grab her shoulder, but a force field of energy, in the shape of a raven emerged from the ground, separating him from her. Raven stopped in her tracks, her back to him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring Terra back.." She said, bitterly. The raven consumed her and retreated into the stone below. Raven was gone.

* * *

Disclaimer: DC owns the Teen Titans and Terra.


	6. the power of SILENCE

Jump City. That was where he told her to go. The man. The.. bat man. He told her the thing she was searching for was in Jump City.

He said she was called Lux, but that was not her real name.

She believed him. She believed everything he said without question. Why shouldn't she? He had given her no reason to disbelieve him. He had helped and healed her. She was indebted to him.

"Is this what you want?" She turned her back to him, as he stood on the balcony. She had taken refuge in an abandoned manor. The tattered silk curtains billowed around him, dancing with his darker-than-midnight cape. The moonlight poured in from the opening. She could feel its energy, and it enhanced her own senses. She could feel him, every pulse, ever breath he took.

"This is what you need." That raspy voice of his..

"Edge City needs me." she countered, softly.

"Not for long."

She wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she believed him. Was someone coming to take her place as the She?

"Am I being replaced?" She verbalized her thoughts.

"Yes."

"What if I don't want to go?"

"It's your choice."

"What am I going to find in Jump City?"

"Pieces of you."

"I see.." She turned to look at him, the black sari wrapped around her head, shielding her face, draped over her shoulders, "Will it be hard?"

"It won't be easy." He turned to leave

"Nothing ever is.."

"You won't be alone." He said, unexpectedly. She frowned, taking a step toward him.

"But you're going back to Gotham."

"I'm needed there."

"But I need you." She had never admitted to needing his assistance. The truth was.. she was afraid of being on her own. Since waking up in his lair, after days of slipping in and out of consciousness, he had always been there. They traveled together to Edge City, where he set her loose, spreading panic and fear amongst the criminals.

Although she lived alone in the manor, he periodically dropped in to make sure she was still kicking. But she knew now he would be going back to Gotham permanently. She wasn't sure how she knew it, it was just a feeling she had. He told her to trust her feelings.

"You'll find a familiar face in Jump City."

"If you say so.."

"When you get there, look for the Teen Titans." She blinked. He was always so mysterious and everything he said seemed to be riddles and puzzles for her to solve. It wasn't often he gave her direct information without a cryptic message.

"The Teen Titans.." She repeated.

"Their leader was once my.. understudy, Robin."

"He was your sidekick? What happened?" He never talked about his personal life. He never took off his mask, or spoke about anything other than what she must do to help herself.

"It was time for him to branch out on his own. He couldn't stay under my wing forever.. He's a good kid. He'll help you." She tilted her head, thoughtfully. What was she supposed to tell this Robin when she saw him? That his previous master sent her? That he was supposed to help her?

"Why are you telling me this?"

"If I didn't, you'd blindly search the city for some kind of lead. I'm making it a little easier."

"Without actually telling me anything useful.."

"This is something you need to learn on your own."

"What about Davis Burke?" She asked, suddenly.

"What about him?" He seemed a little surprise. He didn't sound nearly as surpised as she felt. How was she supposed to ask if she could tell a man she never spoke to face-to-face goodbye without sounding like an utter fool? She became used to a certain routine: follow the crooks, surprise them, leave the bad guys for Burke.

"Nevermind.." He gazed at her for a moment. It appeared as though he was going to say something, but decided against it and stepped out on the balcony.

"I'll show you the highway that'll take you to Jump City."

* * *

Disclaimer: DC owns whatever they want. The allergies belong to me. =/


End file.
